MENIFEE: Address change request returned to sender

Postal service seeks unified direction from residents

A request to change all incoming mail in Romoland, Quail Valley,
and Sun City to a Menifee address hasn't exactly hit the dead
letter file yet, but it may be on its way.

In 2008, when voters approved incorporation, it meant that Sun
City, Quail Valley and a part of Romoland would all become a part
of the new 48-square-mile city of Menifee. The new city staff felt
it was necessary to convert them to Menifee mailing addresses
without changing their ZIP codes.

The idea was that the Menifee post office would help to "brand"
the new city and give it a new identity. Councilman Scott Mann was
a proponent of the idea. He said last fall the idea was "part and
parcel of making Menifee Menifee."

"On October 1, 2008, the communities of Quail Valley, Sun City,
Romoland and Menifee officially became the incorporated City of
Menifee," said a letter from the city to the U.S. Postal Service
last October. "The City of is now requesting that these communities
be converted to and recognized as the City of Menifee by the United
States Postal Service."

Despite the clear language in the letter, nearly six months
later the postal service hasn't moved on this issue. And
spokeswoman Eva Jackson said officials probably won't until the new
city is a little more unified.

"The address management group in the post office prefers that
Menifee be the last line on addresses, but it's not mandated that
customers do that," Jackson said. "We're waiting for the community
to come together on some kind of agreement."

In the days after Menifee's formal request was filed, about 20
Sun City residents addressed the Sun City Civic Association board
of directors to protest the change. Tom Thurman, then the board
chairman, said the proposal caused a "mild uprising" among
residents there.

"That's a pretty big crowd for a single issue," Thurman said.
"They were concerned about losing the name Sun City. They want to
be a part of the city of Menifee, but they want to remain the
community of Sun City."

Thurman sent a letter to Mayor Wallace Edgerton, who replied the
issue would be put on hold until further notice. So, now the post
office waits.

"The people in Sun City want to remain being called Sun City and
I don't have any problem with that," Edgerton said earlier this
week. "Hollywood is still part of Los Angeles and it's the same
with Belmont Shore in Long Beach. If they keep the ZIP codes in
those post offices, the mail will still get there."

Still, it's a little confusing to have a post office labeled
"Sun City Postal Annex" standing right next door to Menifee City
Hall on Haun Road. Menifee doesn't have its own designated post
office.

"They could at least change that building to the Menifee Postal
Annex," Mann said. "To me, that seems to be a no-brainer."